PHOTOS: Richmond to Ashland on U.S. Bike Route 1

John Murden — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 10:36:27 +0000

One of the great things about living in Richmond is how quickly you can get out of the city.

U.S. Bike Route 1 is a great point-to-point bicycle ride from Richmond to Ashland, out through Lakeside and the gentle sprawl of central Henrico, into rural Hanover County, and then the town of Ashland. From the old Bill's BBQ north of The Diamond to Ashland Coffee and Tea, then back again, is about 30 miles.

I've been riding this route just about weekly since August, and over the last week the whole experience has shifted from end of summer to fall. The corn has been harvested, the leaves are changing, and the sky is a different, clearer blue. If you're compelled to go outside right now to get your fill of the season, hit the road. Check out U.S. Bike Route 1 on your bike, moped, scooter, or car with the windows down: getting there and back is a perfect piece of living in Richmond.

The Richmond Area Bicycle Association (RABA) does a Henrico to Ashland portion of this ride on Saturday mornings if you're looking for company.

I have not been able to find a detailed official map of the local trail, so I offer this Google map. The route is marked fairly well, though it is kind of easy to miss a turn.

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Lakeside

This is the hill back into Richmond by Bryan Park. After going out and back 30 miles it is not pleasant; I've named it "Big Fucker."

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Henrico

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Hanover

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Ashland

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The full set from the ride is on Flickr, including the banned opossum photo, this possibly NSFW road graffiti, and maybe the geekiest photo that I've ever taken.

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